Best Free Dating Sites and Apps for Serious Relationships in 2023

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Meeting someone online has become easier than ever thanks to the extensive selection of dating platforms that seem to be popping out like mushrooms these days. Unfortunately, these dating sites are not made equal. While others do live up to expectations, some never really quite make the cut. If you’re sick and tired of dating sites that only offer hookups, it is time to find a site that helps you look for someone willing to commit.

We have reviewed the best dating sites and apps for serious relationships, so you can meet the partner of your dreams with whom you can spend the rest of your life.

Summary of the top 10 dating sites for a real relationship

BEST SITESWHY JOIN?
eHarmonyBest dating site for a serious relationship
Elite SinglesMeet educated professional singles
Millionaire MatchElite dating club for rich & attractive people
The LeagueDating app for successful individuals
HingeDesigned to be deleted
Coffee Meets Bagel Dating app to discover meaningful connections
Match25 years of online dating experience
OKCupid250,000 + connections formed per day
Silver SinglesDating site & app for 50+ singles
Her AppBest LGBTQ+ dating community

No.1 eHarmony

eHarmony

Although eHarmony.com rolls out ads that some of you might find cheesy, you can never deny that it remains to be one of the top sites for people looking for serious dates. if you no longer like the idea of dating around and you crave a real connection that may end up in marriage, eHarmony.com is the best place to be. The platform is said to be responsible for a significant number of marriages in the entire United States. Amazing, isn’t it? But’s what the secret behind its success? Well, it might be partly because of the tweak they made on their model. A few years ago, eHarmony required its members to go through a long signup process and some alienating lame questions. Today, this questionnaire has become more practical and was cut down to just 30 questions. eHarmony.com is the best site to try if you know that you are truly ready for some serious commitment.

No.2 EliteSingles

EliteSingles

If you are a firm believer that you deserve only the best and you should never settle for less, EliteSingles.com is the dating platform made just for you. For people unwilling to shift their values in terms of the passion for success and educational values of their potential partner, Elite Singles offers a space where you can hope to meet people who share the same values as yours. According to the website, about 82% of its members are college graduates, the majority of which are around the ages 33 to 50. It is the perfect place for people who are already comfortable with their professional careers and are now looking for a partner who is also at a similar stage in life.

No.3 MillionaireMatch

MillionaireMatch

Whether you are a millionaire searching for love, or you are someone who has always dreamed of dating a wealthy partner, MillionaireMatch.com is just where you need to be. The members of the site are mostly lawyers, doctors, professional models, CEOs, and even Hollywood celebrities. As one of the pioneer dating websites for wealthy singles, MillionaireMatch.com has already established a solid community of quality clientele. They also created a service that offers an enjoyable and easy experience to help its members meet new people. Being in the industry for 20 years, MillionaireMatch.com brings together hundreds of thousands of wealthy singles and their attractive admirers. Its stellar reputation that it earned for providing high caliber experience has made it possible for the platform to amass more than 5.2 million members with over 2 million monthly conversations

No.4 TheLeague

TheLeague

TheLeague.com will probably be the most narcissistic if all dating sites will be personified. To get started, you need to apply first by submitting your profile on LinkedIn, indicate your job status and the university you attended. The site might sound like it is a bit full of itself but if you think that job status and education are dealbreakers, TheLeague.com offers a nice change of pace that other hookup sites often offer. The platform also gives you the freedom to be very picky when it comes to your preferences and even lets you choose the races you want to see. Its high success rate also assures you that you will be meeting a quality date here in no time, with members spanning different age brackets, although most are from the younger side.

No.5 Hinge

Hinge

Most serious daters name Hinge.co as their favorite dating site. Even though Hinge already helped bring thousands of couples together, what really makes it a great choice is the fact that it is very fun to use. Hinge was initially meant to match you according to mutual funds you had through the different social media platforms. However, since then, Hinge has evolved to become the ultimate icebreaker dating site. It may take some time to set up a profile in Hinge, but it is very entertaining. After you set your basic preferences and choose your photos, you can select through dozens of serious or hilarious prompts to include in your profile. With an in-depth matching algorithm and engaging profiles, Hinge is set to bring together long-term relationships.

No.6 CoffeeMeetsBagel

CoffeeMeetsBagel

The main concept behind CoffeeMeetsBagel.com was to offer its members a unique online dating experience, especially for those looking for serious relationships. The site is just like getting a cup of coffee with a date but this time, you do it online. The website’s vibe is designed to have a low-key feeling to eliminate any pressure that might get in the way of your overall dating experience. Coffee Meets Bagel sends you 7 options per day that have been carefully chosen according to their match algorithm. The matches are known as bagels. To further encourage follow-throughs, these bagels will only last for one week, you really need to reach out if you like someone. The platform also works well because its algorithm also considers your past swipes when curating every new batch of fresh bagels to send your way.

No.7 Match

Match

Launched as far back as 1995, Match.com is a dating website that has been making it possible for daters to find serious and long-term relationships. Match.com feels comforting for most people because it feels very familiar and even created the blueprint for the rest of the dating sites that came after it. Match.com has also worked hard to hone its strategy through the years. You will also have the assurance that you will date someone in a matter of 6 months. But if you don’t, the site will give you 6 more months for free. This is how confident the site is in terms of its success rate. Two key factors that make Match.com one of the best dating sites for serious relationships are its matching algorithm and the fact that it is technically a free dating website.

No.8 OKCupid

OKCupid

OKCupid.com is the woke dating website specially made for socially conscious millennials. The site has been around for some time now. In 2017, however, OKCupid.com went through a massive redesign in terms of operations and aesthetics alike. Today, the site has become incredibly modern, making it an ideal choice for all the liberal-minded daters who are looking for a partner who shares the same beliefs and ideals. It is not easy to see why it has been so, with its 20 sexual orientations and 12 gender identities for members to choose from. The site also uses a questionnaire that helps weed out people you probably wouldn’t get along with, increasing your chances to start more serious relationships.

No.9 SilverSingles

SilverSingles

It is never easy to date when you are already over 50, with most online apps often catering to younger members that they don’t even take time to consider older daters and their dating needs. SilverSingles.com is a dating website exclusively made for daters who are 50 years old and above. This offers a sense of comfort when you know that you are in the company of people who are of the same age as you. The platform takes matching very seriously and even uses a unique personality test to break up users into the Big Five personality traits and matches members accordingly. There is always an expectation on the site that all daters are looking for serious relationships.

No.10 Her App

Her App

Ask its current members of 10 million and counting and they will surely tell you that Her app offers a fun dating space. Profiles on the site tend to be very detailed and even includes your diet preferences on your profile such as vegan, together with your pronouns and astrological sign. Her app also has an element that doesn’t have to do with dating and instead, functions as a social media platform that shows you all events happening in your locality. Although not necessarily perfect, the app actively works to evolve its overall functionality more positively. If you want to use Her to look for a long-term relationship, remember that its focus is to empower LGBTQ+ dating and women in general. Make sure to mimic this energy by constantly shining a positive light every time you chat with your matches or new friends.

No.11 Grindr

Grindr

Grindr is the ultimate go-to gay dating app made specifically for trans, bisexual, and gay men looking for other men in their area. The app was launched in 2009 and since then, it has been harnessing the power of its location-based matching system to bring men together and guide them into finding potential dates near them and might even share common Facebook friends. While many dudes sign up to Grindr to find hookups, more members are also using it to find daytime chatting and flirting. There is also no pressure on Grindr to commit immediately although some relationships are formed right away on the app. The app also welcomes single men who belong to the LGBTQ+ community and provides in-app purchases and premium features to facilitate matchmaking.

No.12 PositiveSingles

PositiveSingles

PositiveSingles.com is an exclusive community for singles who are suffering from herpes as well as other STDs who are searching for medical information, friendship, or romance. This is a special dating website for STD and HIV-positive singles who are hoping to find new friends and serious relationships. It is an active STD community where members provide support for each other. The website is exclusive to all STD-positive singles. You also need to disclose the specific type of STD that you have. The moderators suspend right away those accounts that don’t have their profile verified in the next 48 hours. With three premium packages for membership duration, PositiveSingles.com is the best site to be for positive singles who are hoping to find serious relationships despite their condition.

No.13 Zoosk

Zoosk

For some people, one of the key aspects of any relationship is none other than travel. Zoosk.com uses the online dating concept and lets its users connect globally. However, the site is not your usual hookup site. The platform uses behavioral matching to form genuine connections between people who might be living thousands of miles apart. This is the site for you if you dream of a first date that involves a plane. Instead of making you go through a long questionnaire, Zoosk.com synchs up all your profiles on social media to analyze your behavior. This offers a unique way to identify personality and is considered more accurate since it considers your actions.

No.14 Bumble

Bumble

Bumble is a swipe-dating app with a twist. This app is available for free where women are required to break the ice first. When the man doesn’t reply to the first message in a matter of 24 hours, the match will go away. This is among the first dating apps that hold daters responsible for their ability to follow through. Crazy things will never survive on the platform. Its unique concept where women send the message first also gets rid of the constant creepy messages ladies often get on dating apps. Bumble lays out rules that make it an ideal environment to embark on a long-term serious relationship.

No.15 Inner Circle

Inner Circle

Dating apps are categorized as either serious or casual. But things are different with Inner Circle that cannot be ranked as casual or otherwise unlike the rest. Instead, Inner Circle is more similar to a fancy restaurant where getting a reservation often takes years. Many people don’t even have an idea if the restaurant has good food, but they know all too well that only the best of the best get the chance to eat it, and this is the reason why they also want it in the first place. The site has several moderators that review the applicants to choose only the most attractive and talented singles to join their platform. In fact, only half of all applicants get to join the app.

Why Should You Seek a Serious Relationship on Dating Sites/App?

If you are reading this article right now, chances are you already know how hard and tricky it can be to get to know new friends in real life. This is why it is not really a big surprise that more and more people are opting to meet someone online. The good news is that online dating not only works for one-time dates. In fact, many couples were able to form strong and long-lasting relationships even if they only met each other via online dating sites or apps.

Since the pandemic started in 2020, real-life dating changed even more drastically and became even harder and more challenging for most men and women. The remote lifestyle and social distancing due to health restrictions have made it almost impossible to feel safe when meeting someone.

Although things are beginning to get better and restrictions are also being lifted, there are still many good reasons why you should consider searching for a serious relationship on dating sites or apps.

Dating Sites and Apps Help You Easily Find Like-Minded Personals

Probably the first and most important reason to use an online dating site or app is the fact that it helps you find like-minded people with ease. Most of these sites and apps cater to specific groups or niches, which means that the members all share something in common. For example, if you are a Christian, there are Christian dating sites and apps that you can use. Similarly, bikers can also take advantage of platforms that help them find their dates.

Online Dating Services are Safer Than Before

Online dating services today have become safer than ever as they pay closer attention to protecting their members, particularly women. They have safety features in place to offer protection to users from unwanted relationships and inappropriate conversations. For instance, some apps or sites have a chat option that will only be available if both parties agree or like each other first. Some sites and apps also limit access to photos and details on the profile when the user doesn’t allow more than that.

More and More Singles Find Their Matches Online

As mentioned earlier, more and more singles are now going online to find their potential matches. For shy people and introverts, in particular, it is not really comfortable to approach new people. Dating sites and apps give people the chance to just be who they are and free themselves from unwarranted judgments. Most platforms also come with a feature to remain anonymous. In the event that someone exhibits inappropriate behavior, that person will be restricted or banned.

The ease of use of dating sites and apps also entices more people to use them. Most of them create their algorithms around age, interests, preferences, and other key factors. They also provide new suggestions according to your past choices. This means that you can look for someone who shares mutual interests with no need to spend a lot of effort and time.

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